The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for supplying a gas to a drive assembly of a motor vehicle.
Hydrogen that is required for a fuel cell of a drive of a motor vehicle is stored in the motor vehicle, in cylinders provided for this purpose, at a pressure of up to 700 bar. Here, for optimization of an adequate amount of hydrogen, and allowing for minimal loss of interior space and other packaging restrictions, it may be provided that up to 5 such cylinders are arranged in the motor vehicle. Here, each of said cylinders is assigned an electromagnetically actuable shut-off valve which, in order to be opened, must be energized with an electrical current of up to one ampere (1 A). It is furthermore provided that always all of the shut-off valves are energized at the same time, such that up to 5 amperes (60 watts) are required just for opening the shut-off valves.
A vessel system having multiple hydrogen vessels for a fuel cell system is known from the document DE 10 2004 037 851 B4. Said vessel system also comprises a pressure control module which, by way of flow rate regulation modules, adjusts release flow rates of the hydrogen, which altogether form a feed flow rate of the combined flow, individually on the basis of the respective primary pressures of the respective hydrogen vessels, such that the primary pressures of the hydrogen vessels are substantially equalized. Within the vessel system, a selection of the hydrogen vessel with the higher primary pressure, and a command to release the hydrogen at preset times, are repeated in order to successively switch between active vessels for the release of the hydrogen.
A method for opening tank shut-off valves in gas feed systems with connected tanks is described in document DE 10 2006 031 875 B4. Here, said tanks are in the form of pressurized hydrogen gas tanks of a fuel cell system, wherein each pressurized hydrogen gas tank is assigned a tank shut-off valve. Here, upon a start-up of the fuel cell systems, the tank shut-off valves are opened in succession.
A method for controlling a supply of hydrogen to a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell system is described in document DE 10 2005 047 972 B4. In said document, the fuel cell stack is connected to a hydrogen tank via a flow control unit. Furthermore, the fuel cell system comprises three injectors which are controlled in succession in order to increase or reduce a throughput of hydrogen to the fuel cell stack.